Stable Layout Research Articles

PartLabeling: A Label Management Framework in 3D Space

In this work, we focus on the label layout problem: specifying the positions of overlaid virtual annotations in Virtual/Augmented Reality scenarios. Designing a layout of labels that does not violate domain-specific design requirements, while at the same time satisfying aesthetic and functional principles of good design, can be a daunting task even for skilled visual designers. Presenting the annotations in 3D object space instead of projection space, allows for the preservation of spatial and depth cues. This results in stable layouts in dynamic environments, since the annotations are anchored in 3D space. In this paper we make two major contributions. First, we propose a technique for managing the layout and rendering of annotations in Virtual/Augmented Reality scenarios by manipulating the annotations directly in 3D space. For this, we make use of Artificial Potential Fields and use 3D geometric constraints to adapt them in 3D space. Second, we introduce PartLabeling: an open source platform in the form of a web application that acts as a much-needed generic framework allowing to easily add labeling algorithms and 3D models. This serves as a catalyst for researchers in this field to make their algorithms and implementations publicly available, as well as ensure research reproducibility. The PartLabeling framework relies on a dataset that we generate as a subset of the original PartNet dataset [17] consisting of models suitable for the label management task. The dataset consists of 1,000 3D models with part annotations.

STRUCTURES OF THE ESTATE LAYOUT OF THE 14TH–FIRST HALF OF THE 16TH CENTURY IN THE MOSCOW KREMLIN BASED ON THE EXCAVATIONS IN THE GREAT GARDEN

The wooden structures that were part of the manor complexes of the 14th – the first half of the 16th century AD are the remains of above-ground structures and cellars dug into the ground. The latter were log frames placed in a pit dug for them. Most of the log frames were made of oak or young pine and spruce logs, which prevent researchers from obtaining a series of reliable dendrochronological dates. The above-ground (residential and economic) structures have survived in a worse condition, some of them perished in a fire at the end of the 15th century AD. Remains of ovens made of raw bricks are associated with residential buildings. The compact arrangement of the studied structures, the construction of cellars and ovens on the same site testifies to the stable layout of the estate space for a long time – from the 14th to the middle of the 16th century. At the end of the site functioning period, a very large cellar up to 5 m deep appeared on it, which could be related to the temporary court of Ivan III at the end of the 15th century.

Voronoi treemap in Manhattan distance and Chebyshev distance

The ordinary Voronoi treemap generated based on the Euclidean distance function has the flexibility to slightly adjust the layout when visualizing time-varying hierarchical data for better visual quality, preserving neighborhood relationships, and preserving a stable layout. However, its layout formed by segments with arbitrary orientations has poor shape stability between successive layouts at different time indexes, which is not conducive for the users to understand the plot and track the same node. In this paper, we propose novel Voronoi treemaps in Manhattan distance and Chebyshev distance respectively, such that the segments in the new layouts only have four orientations (horizontal, vertical, and ±45° to the [Formula: see text]-axis). The new layouts can not only heritage the abilities of ordinary Voronoi treemap, but preserve good shape stability. To achieve this, we first focus on the weighted bisector between two sites in Manhattan distance and design a bisector generation method for different weight values of two sites, as the bisector is the foundation to form a diagram. Then a divide-and-conquer method is utilized to form the bisectors into a Voronoi diagram, and a Voronoi treemap layout can be finally obtained by using Lloyd’s method to iteratively adjust the diagram. Moreover, we prove that the treemap algorithm in Manhattan distance can be adjusted to also generate the Voronoi treemap in Chebyshev distance via linear transformation, avoiding designing additional algorithm. The computational properties of the proposed methods are first evaluated to check whether the layouts can be generated fast and accurately. Then the perceptual properties are evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively based on quality metrics and user studies, respectively. The results demonstrate that the proposed Voronoi treemaps preserve similar layout stability, but better visual quality and shape stability than the ordinary Voronoi treemap. Our algorithms are simple and resolution-independent, but also provide alternatives to the Voronoi treemaps.

J. J. Gibson's "Ground Theory of Space Perception".

J. J. Gibson's ground theory of space perception is contrasted with Descartes’ theory, which reduces all of space perception to the perception of distance and angular direction, relative to an abstract viewpoint. Instead, Gibson posits an embodied perceiver, grounded by gravity, in a stable layout of realistically textured, extended surfaces and more delimited objects supported by these surfaces. Gibson's concept of optical contact ties together this spatial layout, locating each surface relative to the others and specifying the position of each object by its location relative to its surface of support. His concept of surface texture—augmented by perspective structures such as the horizon—specifies the scale of objects and extents within this layout. And his concept of geographical slant provides surfaces with environment-centered orientations that remain stable as the perceiver moves around. Contact-specified locations on extended environmental surfaces may be the unattended primitives of the visual world, rather than egocentric or allocentric distances. The perception of such distances may best be understood using Gibson's concept of affordances. Distances may be perceived only as needed, bound through affordances to the particular actions that require them.

Layer-sliding-mediated controlled tuning of physical properties of intercalated silicene/hBN heterostructure

Finding approaches capable of tuning material properties in a controlled manner are highly desirable for obtaining next generation devices. In this work, we have simultaneously performed layer-sliding and Li-intercalation in modeled two dimensional heterostructure consisting of a layer of puckered silicene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Van der Waals-corrected density functional theory calculations have been carried out to reveal the aforementioned tuning strategy, which offers pronounced potential interms of applied perspective. After identifying the most stable layout of silicene over hBN and site for Li-insertion, silicene is slided over hBN in regular intervals and corresponding total-energy is collected with and without Van der Waals (vdW) contribution. Role of vdW interactions have been revealed during the course of sliding. We further investigated the potential energy surface along the sliding path and found that the sliding barrier is much high for the intercalated system than for the unintercalated heterostructure by three orders of magnitude. We also described the interfacial electronic properties of the hBN/silicene heterostructure and discussed the variation of planar average charge density difference, dipole charge transfer and interface dipole moment. The proposed method can lead to a general technique for tuning the properties of layered materials, which is completely reversible, controllable and can be monitored in real time.

How Hierarchical Topics Evolve in Large Text Corpora.

Using a sequence of topic trees to organize documents is a popular way to represent hierarchical and evolving topics in text corpora. However, following evolving topics in the context of topic trees remains difficult for users. To address this issue, we present an interactive visual text analysis approach to allow users to progressively explore and analyze the complex evolutionary patterns of hierarchical topics. The key idea behind our approach is to exploit a tree cut to approximate each tree and allow users to interactively modify the tree cuts based on their interests. In particular, we propose an incremental evolutionary tree cut algorithm with the goal of balancing 1) the fitness of each tree cut and the smoothness between adjacent tree cuts; 2) the historical and new information related to user interests. A time-based visualization is designed to illustrate the evolving topics over time. To preserve the mental map, we develop a stable layout algorithm. As a result, our approach can quickly guide users to progressively gain profound insights into evolving hierarchical topics. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method on Amazon's Mechanical Turk and real-world news data. The results show that users are able to successfully analyze evolving topics in text data.

Design Methodologies of Ship General Arrangements - A Review

This paper presents an overview of ship general arrangement design methodologies and philosophies and early-stage design capabilities, particularly during the last decade. The arrangement of a ship has a unique feature in that it can both enable successful shipboard operations and constrain the performance of all subsystems. Stable ship layout is critical to producible, and therefore cost effective, designs and time. This paper overviews the efforts made by the researchers in the last decade to improve generating the arrangement rapidly . Also, identify areas of the ship general arrangements process that are insufficiently addressed or not addressed at all in order to keep pushing the field of general arrangements forward.

Supporting multifaceted viewing of word clouds with focus+context display

Word clouds provide an effective way to visually summarize important keywords from a large collection of text. Despite their increasing popularity, relatively less attention has been paid on developing interactive techniques for flexible word cloud navigation and manipulation. In this article, we present a focus + context display technique to support multifaceted viewing of word clouds. In our algorithm, the sizes of words in a word cloud are first changed to reflect the current importance metric selected by the user and then scaled to balance space utilization and word readability. To remove word overlaps caused by changes of sizes while maintaining the positional dependency modeled by a directed acyclic graph, we propose a force-directed model that also maximizes the utilization of display space. We demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of our techniques through case studies using a real-world dataset and evaluate the performance of the constraint-based overlap removal method in achieving stable layouts during importance transformation.

A multi-objective optimization and decision algorithm for locator layout continuous searching in checking fixture design

Locator layout is a key concern in checking fixture design (CFD) to hold a checked part accurately and stably. Since the localization accuracy evaluation only considered the positions and directions of locators, ignoring the whole layout of them which is related with localization stability, in this paper, a multi-objective continuous searching optimization and decision algorithm is proposed to obtain an accurate, stable, and detachable locator layout for CFD. The algorithm searches a trade-off between two goals, location accuracy and stability, and constrains the layout with the 3-2-1 location principle to assure the detachability. In order to remove the discretization error in traditional optimization methods, the algorithm searches locator points on the surfaces of the checked part model continuously instead of the discretized points. At last, the algorithm is realized and embedded in Siemens NX by application program interface and two case studies are presented to verify its feasibility and practicability.

Performance of pillar design in underground stone mines that include discontinuities

This paper describes a pillar design methodology that was developed from a study of pillar performance in operating stone mines. A number of methodologies have been developed to calculate full-scale mine pillar strengths based on laboratory scale strength obtained from specimens. Data were collected on rock mass quality, pillar conditions, mining dimensions and intact rock strength. Results showed that current mining practices have resulted in generally stable pillar layouts, without recent cases of extensive pillar collapses; however, failure of the pillars was found to be related to spalling of hard brittle rock, shearing along pre-existing angular discontinuities or progressive extrusion of soft infill material on bedding planes. A numerical model (FLAC3D) for the entire rock mass has been developed in order to analyze the stability of the entire underground opening. A preliminary monitoring phase has been realized, aimed at controlling abandoned rock structure movement at the most significant discontinuities. Some measurements of the vertical stress in the pillars and in the walls have also been performed and were used for model calibration. Once the model has been calibrated, analysis of the actual stress and deformation conditions can then be evaluated, the stability condition of the entire structure can be computed and a forecast analysis of what intervention could be realized to guarantee underground public access can be performed. The developed strength equation can be used to design stable pillar layouts, keeping in mind that the safety factor is greater than 1.5 and the width:height ratio of the pillars is between 0.6 and 0.8. It is concluded that, by applying the developed equation and selecting appropriate input parameters, it should then be possible to calculate the factor of safety.

Design of poly-Si TFT Shift Register and Latch Circuit by PMOS Process

The design of the PMOS dynamic shift register is proposed. This circuit had no static power consumption when generating the scan pulse output. The further research on the data driver circuit is also presented. Using PMOS dynamic shift register we had fabricated, we designed a digital signal latch unit based on PMOS TFT technology. The data signal could be sampled and latched serially through the combination of shift register and latch unit. Furthermore, we present a novel 2-phase clock shift register. It was composed of a dynamic signal transmitting part and a static signal holding part. Since the adoption of static holding circuit and the effect of bootstrapping, there is no capacitance in the schematic, which leads to a more compact and stable layout. The simulation result from Smart-Spice of Silvaco EDA software will be discussed.

Contrast independence of cardinal preference: stable oblique effect in orientation maps of ferret visual cortex

The oblique effect was first described as enhanced detection and discrimination of cardinal orientations compared with oblique orientations. Such biases in visual processing are believed to originate from a functional adaptation to environmental statistics dominated by cardinal contours. At the neuronal level, the oblique orientation effect corresponds to the numerical overrepresentation and narrower tuning bandwidths of cortical neurons representing the cardinal axes. The anisotropic distribution of orientation preferences over large cortical regions was revealed with optical imaging, providing further evidence for the cortical oblique effect in several mammalian species. Our present study explores whether the dominant representation of cardinal contours persists at different stimulus contrasts. Performing intrinsic optical imaging in the ferret visual cortex and presenting drifting gratings at various orientations and contrasts (100%, 30% and 10%), we found that the overrepresentation of vertical and horizontal contours was invariant across stimulus contrasts. In addition, the responses to cardinal orientations were also more robust and evoked larger modulation depths than responses to oblique orientations. We conclude that orientation maps remain constant across the full range of contrast levels down to detection thresholds. Thus, a stable layout of the functional architecture dedicated to processing oriented edges seems to reflect a fundamental coding strategy of the early visual cortex.

Exploration of Networks using overview+detail with Constraint-based cooperative layout

A standard approach to large network visualization is to provide an overview of the network and a detailed view of a small component of the graph centred around a focal node. The user explores the network by changing the focal node in the detailed view or by changing the level of detail of a node or cluster. For scalability, fast force-based layout algorithms are used for the overview and the detailed view. However, using the same layout algorithm in both views is problematic since layout for the detailed view has different requirements to that in the overview. Here we present a model in which constrained graph layout algorithms are used for layout in the detailed view. This means the detailed view has high-quality layout including sophisticated edge routing and is customisable by the user who can add placement constraints on the layout. Scalability is still ensured since the slower layout techniques are only applied to the small subgraph shown in the detailed view. The main technical innovations are techniques to ensure that the overview and detailed view remain synchronized, and modifying constrained graph layout algorithms to support smooth, stable layout. The key innovation supporting stability are new dynamic graph layout algorithms that preserve the topology or structure of the network when the user changes the focus node or the level of detail by in situ semantic zooming. We have built a prototype tool and demonstrate its use in two application domains, UML class diagrams and biological networks.

Soft-computing algorithms as a tool for the planning of cyclically interlinked production lines

The planning and configuration of complex flexible production lines—cyclically interlinked systems—cover numerous aspects and various possibilities. It is not possible to determine the applicability and characteristics for each of these variations by applying already existing planning methods. This paper outlines an innovative approach to this problem, which is based on the application of learning algorithms such as artificial neural networks. The iterative design process of a production line is initiated by a customer request. An initial layout is usually planned by an engineer and considered in a forecast system, which classifies the layout as stable or unstable. In case of stable layouts, the performance and cost values are visualized with operating figures. On this basis, the engineer is able to evaluate the layout. If the result is not satisfactory, new production line layouts are generated by modifying the overruled layout and another iteration begins.

Robust versus stable layout design in stochastic environments

This paper discusses the problem of the layout flexibility problem. In an environment affected by stochastic product flows, identifying the optimal layout acquires particular relevance, as the layout itself must behave efficiently under varying conditions and levels of item production. This work advocates the need for modifying the parameters usually proposed in literature to optimize the physical location of the workstations on the shopfloor. These parameters will consider not only the average value of the part flows between two generic machines, but also the standard deviation of the flows themselves. With such quantities, it is possible to design layouts which guarantee a more regular performance, in terms of material handling requests when volumes and demand mix change over time (market dynamics). Therefore, this study concerns the formulation of stability layout indices which are based on the flow distributions between each machine pair (i.e. as a function of the route-sheets and the demand distribution of each product processed in the manufacturing system). These indices allow the analyst to calculate the risk of deterioration in the layout performances due to market dynamics.

Simple procedure for quantification of the gravitational stress field in fractured hard rock massifs

In this paper, a quantitative procedure for evaluating the gravitational stress field in a hard rock massif is presented, using only a geological hammer and compass. Using the orientation of the fracture planes and their statistical distribution, a method for calculating of the tendency of the fractures to reactivate under gravitational load is proposed, based on Coulomb failure criterion. The method is applicable for assessing the most stable layout of the underground excavations and for evaluating the geometry of the stress field at a point during the initial stage of rock failure.

Incremental bipartite drawing problem

Layout strategies that strive to preserve perspective from earlier drawings are called incremental. In this paper we study the incremental arc crossing minimization problem for bipartite graphs. We develop a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) for this problem. We have also developed a branch-and-bound algorithm in order to compute the relative gap to the optimal solution of the GRASP approach. Computational experiments are performed with 450 graph instances to first study the effect of changes in grasp search parameters and then to test the efficiency of the proposed procedure. Scope and purpose Many information systems require graphs to be drawn so that these systems are easy to interpret and understand. Graphs are commonly used as a basic modeling tool in areas such as project management, production scheduling, line balancing, business process reengineering, and software visualization. Graph drawing addresses the problem of constructing geometric representations of graphs. Although the perception of how good a graph is in conveying information is fairly subjective, the goal of limiting the number of arc crossings is a well-admitted criterion for a good drawing. Incremental graph drawing constructions are motivated by the need to support the interactive updates performed by the user. In this situation, it is helpful to preserve a “mental picture” of the layout of a graph over successive drawings. It would not be very intuitive or effective for a user to have a drawing tool in which after a slight modification of the current graph, the resulting drawing appears very different from the previous one. Therefore, generating incrementally stable layouts is important in a variety of settings. Since “real-world” graphs tend to be large, an automated procedure to deal with the arc crossing minimization problem in the context of incremental strategies is desirable. In this article, we develop a procedure to minimize arc crossings that is fast and capable of dealing with large graphs, restricting our attention to bipartite graphs.

5472725 Ultra-high temperature treatment of low-fat formed meat products

This paper discusses a microcomputer-based system used to maximize the storage space utilization for palletized materials. Pallet and carton sizes and stacking constraints for specific stock numbers are used to compute and select the best layout from several possible alternatives. The results, giving the simplest stable layout, are converted to graphic form and printed on a dot-matrix printer for use by Engineers and Warehouse personnel in evaluating and improving storage space utilization.

A microcomputer-based pallet layout system to evaluate and improve storage space utilization

This paper discusses a microcomputer-based system used to maximize the storage space utilization for palletized materials. Pallet and carton sizes and stacking constraints for specific stock numbers are used to compute and select the best layout from several possible alternatives. The results, giving the simplest stable layout, are converted to graphic form and printed on a dot-matrix printer for use by Engineers and Warehouse personnel in evaluating and improving storage space utilization.